Wines from Béarn and Jurançon
La Cave de Gan-Jurançon brings together the grapes of more than 250 grape growers and produces more than half the wine of the Jurançon appellation, and plays an important role in the production of wines of the Béarn appellation.
It is a wonderful place to visit. You can taste many wines, without pressure to buy. The wines are so good, however, that I bought 4 bottles for my heavy rucksack. You can also visit all the installations for wine production.
La Cave de Gan-Jurançon is in the town of Gan, just a short hop from Jurançon and Pau (I took a taxi from Pau). These towns are all close to the Catholic pilgrimage town of Lourdes, so a super communion can be had with excellent wines.
I already knew a little about the wines of Jurançon, which I talked about in an earlier post. But what I learned was that they have several Jurançon sweet wines of different intensities of sweetness.
The Etoile des Neiges is the most audacious of the Late Harvest sweet wines, with only 600 bottles (size 500 cl) being produced each year (I bought a bottle — 40 euros, quand même!). It is produced from a one hectare plot of Gros Manseng old vines, facing south, growing in well-draining stony soil. Two successive harvests leave the finest of the grapes on the vine to endure the attentions of the sun, cold rain and snow … in order to attain an exceptional wine.
The last harvest of the year, the Late Harvest is reportedly always a unique and moving moment for the winemakers. Picking the grapes that have been pampered for months is done by hand, gently. The winemaker selects again the best sun-soaked grapes of a shiny copper color, wrinkled with frost, like the grapes of Corinth. These precious grapes are then pressed very gently to extract a dense juice, full of flavor and character. The wine is then made by the same rules: careful, natural attention, and an utmost respect for the quality of the grapes.
The other discoveries for me were the wines of the Béarn region, a red and a rose (see photo). The red was the most powerful red wine that I have ever tasted — but while powerful, it was wonderful. It is made exclusively from the Tannat grape variety which, as the name implies, is very rich in tannin. The rose was very light, fresh and crisp, a perfect summer drinking wine, made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Tannat.
Logistics
TGV high-speed train from Paris-Montparnasse to Pau. Then taxi to Gan.